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Young scientists on campus for SCI-FUSION 2014

The University of Lethbridge is proud to be the host and presenting sponsor of SCI-FUSION 2014, the Lethbridge Regional Science Fair & Science Olympics, Mar. 28-29 in the 1st Choice Savings Centre. The University welcomes the opportunity to continue to engage youth in scientific discovery and is excited to offer a number of activities designed to further spark the curiosity of future scientists.

From Let's Talk Science hands-on activities to lab tours and keynote addresses, the U of L is excited to offer SCI-FUSION 2014 participants and family members a unique look at science education on campus.

The weekend begins with an opportunity for 30 parents of science fair participants to tour three of the University’s cutting-edge research laboratories that showcase the newest research institutes at the U of L.

“Parents will not only learn about the exciting science conducted at our institution and how it relates to their life and our society, but they will also directly experience where and how the experiments are conducted,” says Dr. Ute Wieden-Kothe, professor of chemistry and biochemistry. “This is a unique opportunity where we open our doors to let the public look at the heart of our research activities.”

On Saturday (9 to 11 a.m.), the Let’s Talk Science program takes over, allowing science fair participants and their siblings the opportunity to participate in a number of fun and exciting hands-on scientific activities. Everything from extracting DNA to building catapults and constructing play dough brains will be investigated as future scientists challenge themselves to explore new areas of science, discover unexpected phenomena and learn new experiments.

The University’s Dr. Locke Spencer will then deliver the fair’s keynote address at 11 a.m. in PE250. Spencer (MSc ’05, PhD ’09), a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Experimental Astrophysics, completed his master’s degree at the U of L and was the first graduate of its Earth, Space and Physical Science PhD program. He works closely with Dr. David Naylor and participated extensively in the activities associated with the Herschel/SPIRE instrument.

“As a leading Canadian university, we take the responsibility of furthering scientific discovery very seriously,” says U of L President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Mike Mahon. “We strive to ignite a passion and curiosity for science in our community and by hosting activities such as SCI-FUSION 2014 and last year’s Canada-Wide Science Fair, we are hopefully sparking those interests in our youth. The proposed Destination Project, which will house a new science centre for southern Alberta, will take that vision even further, creating a centre for community engagement around science.”